Pilbara, Australia Reports on Algae’s Potential

he State government in Pilbara, Australia, has released a report explaining how the region could be an ideal base for the algae aquaculture industry because of its sunny climate and close proximity to seawater.

The Minister for Regional Development, Brendon Grylls, says although the algae industry is still in its early stages, it could provide much needed economic diversification in the region. His report says algae could be used in biofuels, health foods, pharmaceuticals and feedstock, and has the potential to create new jobs outside the resources sector.

Aurora Algae’s Matt Caspari says the report is encouraging. “I think it’s extremely encouraging for the algae industry in the Pilbara,” he said. “You’ve got three different government departments coming together and putting their resources behind an independent study. We see significant opportunity for it to expand over time and I think that’s highlighted and comes across in this report.”

Caspari says the report could trigger a significant investment into the growing industry. “It gives the Government something to look at and see that external parties have concluded this is a massive opportunity,” he said. “They now have some validation from independent parties looking at it so we do think it is a big deal for the industry.”